10 Questions on the NFL's Dirtiest Players and More

His quarterback's future may be in jeopardy, but that didn't stop Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe from telling one helluva story about Brett Favre — about Brett Favre and pants, specifically — as he prepared to face off against his former team. Also: the five "feistiest" guys in the league, and what the hell happens in a lockout.

ESQUIRE: What's the deal with Cortland Finnegan? He's being called the dirtiest player in what's been a pretty dirty year.

VISANTHE SHIANCOE: He's just one of those guys you hate to play against. He never stops. Every play, he's on you, and he's relentless. You'll notice, though, that nobody says he's not a good player. He's a great player. You'll hear that he's a pest and all that, but you ask around — and everyone respects the hell out of Cortland Finnegan.

ESQUIRE: But is he dirty?

VS: "Dirty" is the wrong word to describe guys like Finnegan. He's — how should I put this — overly aggressive? He's feisty. That's the word. Feisty.

ESQUIRE: Okay. Then who are the five "feistiest" players in the league?

VS: Finnegan's probably number one. Roy Williams, the safety on the Bengals — he's feisty, too. You never get a free pass when he's patrolling the middle. When I was with the Giants and he was with Dallas, we went up against each other twice a year. You always knew when he was buzzing. Leonard Davis, the Cowboys lineman, he's feisty, too. No one likes tangling with him. [Dolphins guard] Richie Incognito, defenders complain about going up against him all the time. The last one is [Eagles guard] Todd Herremans. He's considered "dirty" by some guys, but I just think he's feisty.

VS: A dirty play is when the opposing player is defenseless and you maliciously try to injure them or knock them out. Players know when a guy's defenseless. Trust me, we all know. And if the guy's leaning forward like Todd Heap was against the Patriots? And you leave your feet and use your helmet to lay him out? That's dirty, man.

ESQUIRE: Favre might start against the Giants, he might not. Got a good story about him either way?

VS: Favre's the man.

ESQUIRE: Come on. Really? An NFL locker room is full of 20-year-old guys right out of college, and you're telling me this 40-year-old man with a beard and Wrangler jeans is the man?

VS: We love Brett. His work ethic is just unbelievable. The beatings he takes every week are legit, and he just gets up every time. I sincerely believe that as long as his head was protected and in good shape, Brett would play forever. And he'll cut you up, too. [Vikings receiver] Greg Camarillo will kill me for saying this, but the other week, he was wearing thermal pants in our walk-through at practice. Brett comes up from behind, all serious, and decides to pants him. Sure enough, Camarillo wasn't wearing any underwear. Brett got him. We were dying. Brett Favre's one of the greatest players of all time. You know all the accolades. He's also a great guy.

ESQUIRE: I imagine Eli Manning, as a rookie in 2004 with the Giants, wasn't pulling anyone's pants down during practice?

VS: Eli was all about football, man. He still is. But don't be fooled — he could bust balls, too. When he and Tim Hasselbeck were together, watch out. The two of them would kill me. Eli's gotta be in his element, but when he is — he's got his own brand of humor, too.

ESQUIRE: Do you play fantasy football?

VS: No, but a lot of guys on the team do. Ben Leber and Kevin Williams, I know they're in a league. This may surprise you, it may not, but the question fans seem to ask me most these days is not, "Can I get your autograph?" or "Are you guys going to win this week?" It's always: "Should I start you in fantasy football?" My answer is always, "Hell, yes." And I tell them to spread the word.

ESQUIRE: With a potential 2011 work stoppage looming, do you think players — especially the young guys — are saving up and properly preparing?

VS: I hope so, man. The NFLPA sent out a memo to every player a few weeks back suggesting that we start saving our game checks for the rest of the season. You've got to save up. You can't be frivolous. The thing that kills me with the lockout, though, isn't what it means to us or the owners. It's what it will mean to the fans. No one's talking about that, but I immediately think of the fans who devote their Sundays to watching our games, the fans who travel thousands of miles from Minnesota and wait on line in the cold in New York for the NFL Draft, the sports bars that make their money on football Sundays. The players, the owners, and the guys in the media who cover the game will all be hurt by a lockout, sure. But not as much as the fans.